Managing the Migration Process

Conduct Pilot Testing

Pilot testing involves having a group of end users try the system prior to its full deployment in order to give feedback on IIS 5.0 features and functions. The level of pilot testing you want to perform depends on the size and scope of your migration project. For larger projects, a formal, carefully planned pilot is essential. For any size project, it’s good to have selected end users test the system prior to full deployment.

During the initial, pre-pilot phase you can select a small group of technically savvy users to try out the technology. You probably won’t want to provide support during this phase, because it can draw resources away from system development and burden your schedule.

After making adjustments based on input from the pre-pilot users, you can begin the actual pilot. During this phase, a larger group of users should review and fully use system features. These users should be at about the same technical level as your system users in general. During this phase, you should plan to provide support for all issues, errors, or problems that users report. When you make any corrections, be sure to thoroughly retest the system.

The following are items to include in planning a pilot test:

Adequate training for participants
A rollout plan for deploying the servers and preparing systems for the pilot
Documentation of the installation process so you can improve it as more is learned
A mechanism, such as a Web site or e-mail alias, for users to provide constant feedback to the design and testing teams
Evaluation criteria for the pilot, including information about the number of users who were dissatisfied, the number of problems reported, the number of support calls and requests, and the resolution rate for problems